Wash fountain



Sept 15, 1953 .1. ROTHMAYR 2,652,284

WASH FOUNTAIN Fild May 18, 1950 534941 ,Svpkm49 Y fam d@ Patented Sept. 15, 1953 WASH FOUNTAlN Joseph Rothmayr, Zurich, Switzerland, assigner to I nterlmtenta-Trust, Vaduz, Principality f Liechtenstein Application May 18, 1950,t Serial N0, 162,651 In Switzerland February 22, 1950 Claims. l

My present invention relates generally to wash fountains such as are used in shops, mills and factories for the convenience of the workers and, in particular. to valve means incorporated therein for controlling the flow of water therefrom with a View of saving water.

In wash fountains known in .the art, there is provided a wash-water distributing chamber comprising at least one circumferential row of apertures for the outilowing water. The wash water in such known fountains flows simultaneously from all the spouts or nozzles. When only a few persons wash themselves, all the spouts or nozzles are in operation, which arrangement thus leads to an excessive water consumption and is 3- particularly objectionable when using hot water.

In order to avoid the said disadvantage, I provide in said distributing chamber an axially movable regulator element which is adapted to uncover the spouts in succession as desired.

Two forms of my present invention, including three modifications of a valve component member, are shown in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a view of a wash fountain according to a flrst form, the pedestal and basin being shown in section,

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged axial section of part of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is an axial section of part of a second form, and

Figs. 4 6 show each a modified form of the regulator element.

A water supply pipe 2 (Fig. 2), e. g. for supplying cold water to the fountain, is disposed coaxially in a column I which is surrounded by a circular wash basin and serves for supplying Ahot water for example. A cap 3 provided with a transverse wall 4 closes the top of column I, a nut 5 and a ring gasket 6 being provided for a seal. Two valve seats 8 are screwed into the wall 4, and a port 1 integral with cap 3 connects the pipe 2 with one of the valves. A distributing chamber 9 is secured to the cap 3 on top thereof. A rising valve stem I0 is threadedly engaged at II to said chamber 9 and sealed by means of a stufling box comprising a. packing means I2 and a. gland I3. The stem I0 at its upper end is provided with a knob I4 and, at its lower end, with a disc I5 which is engaged by a screw cap I6 so as to rotatably connect the stem I0 to a regulating element in form of a piston valve I1. 'I'he latter is inserted in the distributing chamber 9 in duid-tight relation and is axially movable therein by means of the stem l0. Two valve discs I8 are fixed to the underside oi the slide I1 2 to coact with the valve seats 3. Two rows of discharge openings I9 are provided on the oir. cumi'erence of the chamber 9. The said openings are situated above the top surface of the piston I1 when the valves are closed, as shown in Fig. 2.

The lower or control. edge 23 of the eisten valve Il is so designed that the latter on moving upwardly uncovers the openings only successively for water discharge. Only when the edge 23 is in its topmost position, all the openings Il are uncovered. The piston-valve edge 23 may extend askew of the axis of the piston valve I1 (Fig. 4), or at right angles thereto and stepped back a plurality of times (Fig. 5), or it may extend partly askew to the said axis and partly be stepped back (Fig. 6). The discharge openings I9 are uncovered step by step, and the magnitude of the steps may be different. With the form shown in Fig. 4, the openings I9 are uncovered in succession, while with the forms shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the openings are uncovered step by step, for example 1/8, 1A, 1/3, 1/2. :V4 and then all thereof.

A displacement element 20 is fixed to the underside of each valve disc I8 and is of such shape as to regulate the rate of water inflow into the chamber I3 with a view of obtaining jets of substantially equal spouting reach, irrespective of whether all of the jets or only part of them issue.

In order to positively locate the reduced water discharge, it is necessary to prevent the piston valve I1 from rotating in the distributing chamber 9. Means (not shown) are provided for such purpose.

The form of wash fountain shown in Fig. 3 comprises only one water supply pipe, i. e. the column I serves as supply conduit, e. g. for cold water. There is only one valve seat 8' in the transverse wall 4, which seat is co-axial with the stem I0 and co-acts with a valve disc I8 which is integral with the stem I0. For regulating the size of the discharge openings I9, a ring 25 provided with apertures 24 is rotatably mounted on the outside of the distributing chamber I.

In order to prevent the piston valve IT from rotating, a vertical stud 2| is fixed to the distributing chamber and passes through a vertical bore in the piston valve Il.

One, two or more circumferential rows of openings I9 may be provided for. The said openings may be in form of grooves in a ring which is inserted at a corresponding elevation in a twopart distributing chamber between the two parts thereof. The said ring may be readily replaced.

3 The said grooves may be provided on one or on both ring end-faces and may be of unequal crosssections.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wash fountain comprising a distributing chamber, an inlet to said chamber, a plurality of circumferentially arranged outlets from said chamber, regulating means for uncovering said outlets in said chamber in succession, operating means for moving said regulating means axially in said chamber over said outlets, means for preventing rotatable movement of said regulating means, and a second regulating means for controlling the size of said outlets.

2. A wash fountain as in claim 1, in which said iirst regulating means comprises a DStOn having a circumferential control edge of substantially helical shape.

regulating means for said inlet, and means connecting said inlet regulating means to said outlet regulating means whereby the flow-rate through said inlet is controlled in dependence upon the ow rate through said outlets.

5. A wash fountain as in claim 4, including a second inlet to said distributing chamber, and regulating means for' said second inlet operatively connected With said regulating means for said rst mentioned inlet.

JOSEPH ROTHMAYR.

References Cited in the le 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 835,928 Allen Nov, 13, 1906 1,476,471 Schlesinger Dec. 4, 1923 1,592,209 Heine July 13, 1926 1,668,128 Ruths May 1, 1928 1,960,278 Niedecken May 29, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 227,941 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1943 305,519 Great Britain Feb. 4, 1929 366,071 Italy Dec. 19, 1938 603,988 Great Britain Nov. 20, 1945 

